For the first time in decades, there are schooners 'abuilding on the famed waterfront at Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada. Dawson Moreland & Associates are building not just one, but two 48' wooden schooners in the best of Maritime traditions. These 'twins' will be built simultaneously, frame for frame, plank for plank, alongside the historic Lunenburg Dory Shop at 175 Bluenose Drive. Follow their progress from keel laying to launch!

An artist's interpretation of the Twin Schooner Project

Saturday, February 12, 2011

Capt. Dan flew home from Cape Town, where the Barque Picton Castle is currently docked, to Lunenburg this week to check in on the Twin Schooners and other Dawson Moreland & Associates projects. As you can see, his meetings with Dave went really well.

Actually, things did go very well and though it was 'a flying trip' (the captain flew back to Cape Town after just four days to complete the last leg of Picton Castle's 30,000 mile voyage around the world), the pair were able to sort many details regarding these beautiful schooners being built here at The Dory Shop. Capt. Dan and Picton Castle will sail back into Lunenburg in June.

Friday, February 4, 2011

Okay, so it doesn't always feel like a wonderland, especially when you suddenly have a couple of feet of snow in your workspace. But our gang liked the fact that when the snow came down, the temperature went up.

As you can see, Dave and Bub have been fitting and installing all manner of knees - hanging knees to support the ends of the deck beams from below; lodging knees, which fasten the forward side of a ship's beam to the schooner's side and bosom knees, which fasten the afterside of the beam to the vessel's side.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

As any mariner will tell you, you can't fight the weather. All you can do is watch the forecast, plan as best you can around it, prepare and deal. And that's basically what the schooner gang has been doing lately as we alternate between sun-filled but deeply cold days and a few snowstorms, the biggest of which is forecast for tomorrow.

Needless to say, work continues but a lot of it is taking place indoors.

That's why the boatyard is empty, despite the deceptive looking sun, in this photograph taken from the loft of plant one here at The Dory Shop. Later, we caught a glimpse of Bub out tracing the exact angle of a knee on a piece of cardboard before heading back inside to shape the final product.

The forecast for the next 36 hours is calling for 20-25 cm of snow, so we'll see what mayhem that causes.

About Me

Based on original designs inspired by the classic vessels of the age of sail, the New Lunenburg Schooners are simple, elegant cruising craft, modeled to be extremely seaworthy, sail swiftly, perform boldly and allow their proud owners to live comfortably aboard as they pursue their sailing dreams, whether that’s blue water adventures to remote islands or cruising along the coast.
Proud to be located in the historic seaport of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, Lunenburg Schooners – a project of Dawson Moreland & Associates – are built in the tried and true, time-tested way with stout wooden planks on heavy double-sawn frames, the same techniques that created the famous “Fast and Able” North Atlantic fishing schooners Bluenose and Bluenose II of Lunenburg and the great schooners of Gloucester but using only the very best materials and finest durable timbers sourced from around the world.
Perhaps most importantly, Lunenburg Schooners are designed and crafted by shipwright-mariners who share a love for tradition and the schooner rig in particular, and who understand the value of both. As sailors themselves, they’ll share your dream and help to make it come true.